Bruises On Her Ego
by double kill
Summary: Ava Reyes is the General Manager's new personl assistant. She's young, independent, and has a secret that nobody knows about. She tries her best to keep her personal life away from work, but will the advances of "Dashing" Cody Rhodes open her up?
1. Chapter 1

"Congratulations, Miss Reyes. Welcome to the WWE," Stephanie McMahon said extending her hand out to the newest member of the multi-billion dollar company.

Her eyes widened as she eagerly shook the perfectly manicured hand of her new boss.

Ava Reyes was only at the tender age of twenty five. She was fresh out of college with a degree in Business and Public Relations. She never imagined herself being a part of this world- but somehow, here she was, at the WWE Headquarters, shaking hands with Stephanie McMahon.

She never had the most interest in the sport, but that didn't mean she didn't respect the people who worked for it. In fact, after watching a few shows, she found them as true athletes. They were daredevils that put their lives on the line nearly everyday. And the people behind the scene, well, let's just say they must put more effort into their job than meets the eye.

And Ava Reyes would have a chance to be apart of the breathtaking spectacle.

She was brought up by a respectable, middle-class, family. Hard workers, intelligent people. They raised her to be the classy woman she appears to be today- always reminding her to be gracious and thankful for everything around her. Everday she found something new to appreciate. And despite all the people who had clearly done her wrong, she looked passed them and continued to move on.

But of course, not everything could be forgiven.

Darrin Velasco. Her face turned sour whenever the name was brought up. What he did to her, not many people would ever be able to forgive. She could never find enough strength or will power to do so. Because of this, nightmares haunt her to this very day. It was something that could never be forgotten. But everyday she found herself trying to find a new way to forgive him.

"I'm sure you will make an excellent asset to this business. Please, don't make me regret this." Stephanie said firmly.

"Trust me, you won't." Ava said truthfully before leaving the large office.

Once the door behind her closed, she smoothed down her pencil skirt and released a sigh of relief. She felt like she was holding her breath in for ages as she sat in the stuffy room. At least the worst had come to an end, she got the job and that was all that mattered to her at the moment.

Stephanie told her that rules and regulations would be explained to her once she arrived at the Smackdown venue the next week. Recently, the brand's General Manager had just lost his dear personal assistant due to personal reasons. In the short time allotted, one of Ava's professors recommended her to the company. With an impressive resume at hand, they couldn't turn down the highly qualified woman.

When she neared the waiting room, a tall man with a questionable eye color approached her. They were the most unique shade of blue that could almost be described as an ocean green. He was dressed more casual than she, being in an Ed Hardy tee and blue jeans. She stopped in her spot when he neared her.

"Is Stephanie busy still?" he asked with a slight lisp that made her smile.

"Oh, I just got finished with her. I'm pretty sure she's free."

"Thanks," the man nodded before walking away.

Ava walked out of the building. Phone in hand, telling everyone she knew about the great news. Her phone was buzzing with congratulations and good wishes. There was no way she would let this job slip through her fingers. It was truly a once-in-a-million type of job. Thousands would kill for her position, and she was going to take it with the highest honor.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Long," she smiled, shaking his hand.

"No, the pleasure is truly all mine, Miss Reyes."

Ava sat in the General Manager's office as the crew and technicians began to set up the rest of the arena. Her long, dark locks were slicked back in a loose bun. She wore her usual pencil skirt, accompanied with a ruffled shirt and modest high heels. She not only looked perfect for the job, but she had just the right amount of skill.

She was always the pretty girl throughout high school, and through much of her time in college. She wasn't the extraordinary beauty, but she was quite the looker. She received many double glances from strangers, but she never called herself anything near model status. Barely reaching five foot four, she didn't stand out in a crowd. Her hair was long and wavy, a pretty chestnut brown. She didn't have the chest of a Playboy model, and she didn't have the backside of a Video Vixen. But it was all in her smile. Her shiny, white teeth a great contrast against her tan, sun-kissed skin. Her smile stole all the attention.

"We have a few set of rules here, Miss Reyes. Not much, but we have a few. First of all, I may need you more during a certain time than others, but I need you to keep your cell phone on you at all times. You'll ever know when I need to ring you up." She nodded as he continued.

"You being a young, beautiful female, we do not tolerate any type of sexual harrasment. Whether you are on the receiving end of it, or if you are the one giving it- we do not tolerate it. If you see or experience anything of it, contact me immediately and we will work it out." She nodded once more, as he prodded on.

"Next, you are simply dedicating your life to this job. Breaks or 'time-offs' are rarely ever given. So, please, don't call me to tell me that you will not be able to make it to the job. There is absolutely no legit reason, unless you are dealing with a family emergency. As being tight-knit as we are, the WWE understands how important family is, so those are the only exception. For the most part, no excuse is rarely accepted." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Other than that, welcome to the business of World Wrestling Entertanment."

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"It is I that should be thanking you for being on the job so quickly. Before you go, can you please make your way to the Creative Writers and give scripts to their respective superstars? There has been a slight change, and I want them to know about them."

"I'm on it, Sir!" She smiled back, arising from her seat.

"Oh, and I know you're not exactly familiar with the Smackdown roster, so if you're having any difficulties, feel free to ask some crew members. Hey, even try asking some of the superstars. You might make some friends."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Call me Teddy," he said with a warm smile.

She was, unbelievably, the newest member of the WWE Universe.


	2. Chapter 2

Ava walked out of the General Manager's office with a smile on her face. She was more than ready to take the world on with full force- and although the job description was not much different than _personal slave_, the paycheck was something that she could not disagree with.

She followed the white posters that pointed her in the direction of the Creative Writers area. It wasn't far of a walk, everything seemed close enough despite the size of the arena. When she finally reached her destination, she approached a few large tables scattered with people and papers.

"Hey, I'm Ava Reyes, I came to pick up the revisions?" she asked one of the heftier men who seemed to be in charge.

"Here ya' go ma'am!" he said handing her a thick stack of paper. "These are all the same copies. The post-it note you see right there is the name of all the superstars you must deliver to."

"Will do, and thanks!"

She walked off and began her journey to find all the superstars she had to find before the show started. She was earlier informed that many superstars would be sharing a locker room together, so that made the process a little easier. But with all the twists and turns, the task proved more difficult than she had thought.

From a few feet away, Ava spotted two blonde-haired women. Desperate and needing to get her job done in a few minutes, she approached them. Before they realized Ava was there, the two had been talking about tonight's show and the promos. Apparently, tonight was a Halloween special and the two discussed their costumes.

"Um, hi. I'm Ava Reyes, Theodore Long's new assistant."

"Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Barbara. Or Barbie. Or, well, I guess you could just call me Kelly." The younger looking blonde said with a smile.

"And I'm Michelle."

"Oh! Well, I guess I could scratch a few names off the list." Ava said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Is that tonight's script?" Kelly asked.

Ava nodded.

"Didn't we get ours yesterday?" Michelle added.

"Yeah, but Mr. Long made some new changes. Are you going to see a Melina P., Melina R., Nikki, Brie, Victoria, or Layla anytime tonight?" she asked reading some names off the list.

"Oh, yeah, we're all going to be in the Diva's locker room in a few. You want us to give them the scripts?" Kelly asked with a helpful smile.

"You guys are dolls! You guys made my job like, two times easier. I thought I was going to get lost." Ava said handing them the scripts.

"No problem, you'll get used to it eventually." Michelle said with a chuckle.

"Hopefully," Ava said under her breath. "Do you know where these guys are at?" she asked showing them the list.

"Down that hall and to the right. I'm pretty sure they're all sharing the same locker room. And if anything, they can help you out from there."

"Thank you, ladies!"

She followed their directions, marking everything with an eagle eye so she wouldn't get lost later on in the night. She passed by several tech workers, a couple vending machines, and a few catering tables. She had to admit to herself that she could no doubt get used to working here. All the superstars were tended to their every need. And she was no exception.

When she finally reached the door labeled 'WWE Superstars' she beat her knuckles against it in a rhythmic pattern.

The door opened and revealed a familiar face.

The man scrunched his eyebrows together and pointed his index finger at her as his other hand graced his smooth chin. "You're the girl at headquarters, right?"

She simply nodded.

"What're you doing here?"

"Mr. Long's new personal assistant." she smiled.

"Well, well, well. Welcome to Smackdown!" he said, his expression matching hers.

"Thanks," she said. "Look, Mr. Long made some changes in tonight's schedule. He told me to give the new scripts to some superstars. I need an Adam Copeland, Paul Wight, Cody Runnels, Drew Galloway, Alberto Rodriguez, Oscar Gutierrez, Glenn Jacobs, and a Mark Calaway."

"You need a Cody Runnels? You got 'im."

"Oh, cool! Here you go, Mr. Runnels." she said handing him a packet.

"Cody is fine." he said taking it from her. But when he got a good glimpse, he couldn't help but stare at the fine piece of gold wrapped around her ring finger. It was a simple band, but he still couldn't take his eyes off of it. A slight pang of disappointment ran through his system. "Mrs…?" he asked trying to find out what her marital status was.

"Ava's fine, Cody," she said testing the name out on her tongue. "Is anybody else here?"

"All, but Adam, Paul, Oscar, Glenn and Mark. Big time superstars get there own space."

She chuckled, "I'm sure you're just as much a star as they are." She added, trying to compliment the young man in front of her.

"Thanks, Ava No Last Name."

"Miss Ava Reyes," she said with a smile.

"Miss?"

"Miss," she realized he was looking down at her ring finger, and she shyly put it behind her back. "That's nothing."

He looked skeptically at her.

"I'll see you later, Cody Runnels. I need to deliver these." she said trying to escape his glare.

He cleared his throat before she got too far. She turned her head and looked at him with raised brows. He was leaning against the door frame in a cool and collective manner. His lips pursed, his expression cocky.

"What?"

"Wrong way."

"What?" she asked again and he pointed in the other direction.

"Big superstars are that way."

"What did I just tell you, Mr. Runnels?"

"It's hard to trust the new girl. Can never tell if she's lying or not."

She looked at him in disbelief and continued to walk in the direction he pointed her in. That's when she stopped in her tracks and walked back to the man standing in the doorway.

"Well, it's hard to trust the pretty boy, too, you know? Can never tell if he's lying or not."


	3. Chapter 3

The show ended with a smile on Ava's face.

"Job well done, Miss Reyes," Mr. Long said giving the young woman a pat on her back. He was impressed how quick she was to catch on to the business, the storylines and the superstars. Not only that, but everyone had warmed up to her right away.

He found her chatting up a storm with a few of the Divas and noticed how drawn some of his male superstars were to her. He had never seen anyone more vibrant and intellectual than she, and because of this, Teddy knew that she was ready for this business.

Ava made sure she had everything in her purse before she would be taken to the airport. Tired and ready to sleep, she let her hair fall down and slipped on a pair of ballet flats. The night had been long and tiring, but the people she worked with were filled with so much energy and life that she couldn't help but absorb the good vibes thrown in her direction.

Ava was amazed at how many people were in attendance. The show tonight was sold-out and the screaming of the fans shook the arena in its whole. She could hear their yells at every section backstage. Fans ran around buying shirts and food at the concession stands making her realize just how _important_ the WWE was. To them, and the superstars backstage, the WWE wasn't just a sport- it was a lifestyle.

She couldn't help but buy a 'Stand Up For The WWE' shirt for herself.

Grabbing her suitcase and purse, she made her way out to the parking lot where the private car would come and get her. The Tucsan sun was warm on her skin as she stood there waiting. She watched as the thousands of cars pulled out of the parking lot, while some waited near the door- hoping they'd catch a glimpse of their favorite superstar.

No one knew who she was, so when the uproar of screams and applause reached her attention, she was completely perplexed. Her eyebrows contracted together and her nose scrunched up. She looked around and from behind, she saw a few superstars walk out the building. Just then, the mob ran in her direction.

Ava froze in her spot, there was probably a hundred people running towards her with flashing lights. Once she saw the sleek, black Mercedes, she hopped right in. Although it wasn't her the fans wanted, she refused to be caught in the middle of it all. She took one last look back and saw three heads engulfed in a group of screaming fans.

Once at the airport, she walked to her designated gate, where she was met by WWE Superstars and backstage workers. She smiled at them before they could notice she was there. They were all laughing with each other, making jokes, telling stories. It was amazing how some people were at each other's throats on-screen, but they were so friendly when cameras weren't rolling.

"Nice to see you made it safe, Miss Reyes. How was your car ride?" Mr. Long asked once she neared them.

"Amazing, the car was beautiful, but completely unnecessary."

"Girl, you are in the WWE. Expect nothing but the best."

"Thanks, Teddy."

She gave him a slight nod before walking away. She grabbed an empty seat and observed her co-workers. They all looked beat, but they were still messing around, pulling pranks on each other. She chuckled quietly to herself before pulling out a book to read.

She was lost in the world of Jane Austen when someone called for her attention.

"Huh?" she looked up to come face-to-face with Kelly.

She chuckled, "I said, 'you enjoying that book?'"

Ava smiled and took a look at the cover, Pride and Prejudice, it had always been her favorite love story. And everytime she read it, it never failed to amaze her.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Jane's my favorite. She always sees the good in people. And she's the pretty one. Like, no matter what happens, she gives people the benefit of the doubt. Very admirable."

"I love Lizzy. I guess I'm just a sucker for love." Ava said shrugging her shoulders.

"So, I guess that ring explains everything, huh?" Kelly asked pointing at her fourth finger. Ava covered the ring with her thumb and held it close to her chest. She didn't like talking to others about it, because they usually thought it was silly. They never realized how important it really was.

"You're not gonna get a forward answer with that one, Barbs," a third voice said, joining their conservation.

"Hey, Coddles!" Kelly answered with a slight wave. "You met Ava already, I assume."

"Yeah, I met him before the show started." Ava said, slickly removing the ring from her finger and placing it in the pocket of her skirt.

"So, what's up, Codeman?" Kelly asked as he sat down on the floor in front of the two young ladies.

"Just wanted to get away from the sausage fest," he said pointing at the group of men behind him. They were gathered around in a circle playing a game Ava quickly remembered to be 'Ninja'.

She laughed at the foolish sight, "you know you wanna join them."

"Yeah, but I'd much rather talk to my favorite girls."

"Aw, Coddles!"

"You just met me, crazy! And I thought it was hard to trust the new girl?" Ava asked with a mocking tone and wide eyes.

"Give it some time, and you won't be the new girl anymore." Cody said with a sly wink.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Kelly asked.

Ava's jaw nearly touched the carpeted floor, "No! Not at all!"

"Aw, come on, Ava. Don't be like that!"

Ava couldn't help but laugh at him, and his silly pout. There was no wonder in why he was called the "Dashing One." He really was a good looking young man. He had the most beautiful set of eyes, flawless skin, and a breath taking smile. She tilted her head at him and just studied his every feature without being too obvious. Every detail she took in was close to perfection. But he had a very youthful and innocent aura as well, though. He seemed so lively, so energetic. His smile reminded her of her younger years.

"Wanna play a card game?" He asked changing the subject.

"Which one?"

"Bullshit," he said, brows raising up and down.

"Get more people in this game," Kelly cried out, "c'mon guys!"

And soon the small group of three had turned into a large group of thirteen.

They all huddled up on the floor in a huge circle. Ava eyed them one by one, trying to study their game faces. But who could she fool? These men and women, if not wrestlers, were fit for acting. She had seen how greatly they could trick the world into believing they truly hated each other. If they could fool the world, they could surely fool the girl. As one by one placed their card down in the middle, it finally came to Ava. She looked through her deck of cards, pretending that she couldn't find the right one. She took a quick, sharp breath in and bit her bottom lip in.

"Queen," she said placing down a four of hearts.

She looked up and saw Cody Rhodes shoot her a questionable eye. His brow was raised, his face was still. The whole circle had gone quiet as Ava stared at the intimidating cards in the middle of the circle. Although it were just a card game, a small trickle of sweat formed on her brow, and her breathing slowed.

"King," the man she remembered as Kofi called, placing his card down in the middle.

"Yes!" Ava called out.

"What did I tell you?" Cody asked in disappointment.

"What are you talking about?"

"You can never trust the new girl!" Cody yelled out, playfully.

Ava picked up the deck of cards in the middle, skimming through them, trying to match the card to their player. She looked at each player before her, one by one. And they were all telling the truth, except for one Cody Runnels. She pulled the Queen of Hearts from the deck and flashed it to the stunned man across from her. He looked at her suspiciously and with wonder in his eye.

"What's that?"

"Don't play stupid!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not the only one who lied! I told you, it's hard to trust the pretty boy, too!"

He let out a suppressed chuckle and just began to smile at her as a voice broke through the PA system, letting the superstars know that it was time to board their private plane.

"Sit with me, young grasshopper. We must discuss the art of lying," Cody said approaching her side.

"Sorry, sensei. I promised girl talk with Kelly." Ava said with a slight shrug, although it weren't entirely true.


	4. Chapter 4

The week had flown by quicker than she could ever imagine. Meeting after meeting, press conference after press conference- it was almost ridiculous how busy her schedule was. And to think Ava was only a Personal Assistant. She wasn't making any life changing decisions or big business moves. Most of the time, she sat there patiently waiting for the meetings to end- not only tending to the needs of Mr. Long, but to Stephanie McMahon, and _the_ Vince McMahon, himself. At other times, she ran errands. _Coffee errands_. Those were probably the worst, mainly because she could never get their orders correct, or they would reach room temperature by the time she would arrive. Although they were never at the slightest bit bitter, Ava could not stand the thought of not doing a job correctly- even a simple task such as delivering coffee.

She finally reached the arena in quick, short breaths. Ava wore a pair of running shoes along with her usual business attire. After a long night of meetings and discussion, she unfortunately overslept and missed her assigned car. Upon waking up, in an unsatisfied mood, Ava barely had time to dress. Sporting a simple black skirt, her button-up from last night, and the aforementioned running shoes, she dashed to the arena in record time. She wore no make-up, and her hair was not brushed. She tied it in a loose bun, trying to keep the mess from her face. She pulled out her most comfortable pair of heels from her bag and switched them with her sneakers.

Ava pinched her cheeks in hopes of adding some life and color onto the pallet of her face. Her eyes were still glazed over with sleep, and her posture was poor. She just had to get through this day, and she would finally get some well-deserved sleep.

She leaned against the catering table, waiting to get a warm cup of coffee. She let out a suppressed yawn and felt her lids become too heavy. Her head leaned forward, and jilted back in an upright position. This repeated several times until she realized that there was no one else in front of her. She blinked her eyes a few times before pouring the brown, steaming liquid into her Styrofoam cup.

Before she could even react, the liquid poured over the lips of the cup and right onto her perfectly tanned hand. She let out a high-pitched scream and began to shake her right hand in the air. Along with some obscenities, she began to ask for some ice. The coffee woke her up in a way she didn't quite expect. The heat was intense, and she could see her skin turning to a russet, crimson-like color.

And much to her amazement, a man came and rested an icy cold water bottle on the back of her hand. Her brows scrunched together when she looked up at the man who was cooling down the raging burn.

"Sounds like you needed it," he mused.

"Sounded like?" she asked sarcastically. "Thanks, though."

"No problem," he said with that dimpled-smile. "What's up with you today?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, offence playing in her voice.

He chuckled, "you look like shit."

Her eyes widened, "excuse me?"

"I call it like I see it, love."

"Well, if you _really_ wanna know, I have been running around, following all these important people around. Fetching them their morning cup of Joe, faxing off papers, making copies, answering phone calls, receiving phone calls at three in the morning asking if I revised some documents. The list goes on."

He smirked, "at least you're not being picked up by two-hundred-plus men, and being laid-out on the mat."

"Some of your co-workers _are_ pretty terrifying, I'll let you win this round, Runnels."

"Now this is a competition?"

"If it _was,_ I'm pretty sure I'll come out victorious."

"That's a lot of ego for someone so small."

"Ego? What about you, _Dashing_ Cody Rhodes."

"I thought you didn't watch?"

"I tune in once in a while, ya'know? Just to see what my boss has to work with." she said coyly and deviously.

"You like what you see?" he asked cocking his eyebrow up and down, included with every hint of sexual connotation.

The gaze the two held was too much, and they both ended up bursting into laughter. Unbelievably, it was odd for the both of them to be sexual in a serious manner. Although the two were adults, even the smallest innuendo would send them into a fit of giggles.

Ava wouldn't say that her and Cody where friends to say the least, but she considered him to be a good acquaintance that knew how to make her laugh. And to her current state, that was the best form of relaxation. She felt like it had been a while since she had actually smiled. Most of the time, she was surrounded by stiff-faced men with wrinkles that created sort of a map across their faces- showing the world where they had been and where they're going. Cody's youth and liveliness seemed to bring her away from the serious world and into a care-free environment where it was only the two of them. And that was something she completely valued and appreciated.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she inquired.

"Er, no? I think I'm free to annoy my boss' assistant for a few more minutes."

She laughed and shook her head as she did so.

"Unlike you, I think I have some business to take care of."

He groaned, "C'mon, Ava! You said yourself that you're tired of taking orders."

"I didn't say that!" she said, trying to review their conversation.

"Read between the lines, Ava."

She smiled, "try catching me tomorrow, and we'll see what kind of mood I'm in."

Ava awoke the next morning in her plush, Victorian-styled hotel room.

_Teddy was right_, she thought to herself. She did get the best of the best, and there were no complaints exiting her perfectly plump lips. She rolled around for a bit in the thick, warm comforters as she enjoyed the feeling of silk caressing her bare legs. After a long week, Theodore Long decided to give her the weekend off. This, she quickly praised. He had seen how hard she had been working, and how flustered she was. He knew the job wasn't easy, but she took it as best as she could. Being a young woman, he could only imagine how hard he had been on her on her first week.

But before she could fully relax and enjoy the quiet solitary of her room, a loud, abrupt knock broke the silence. She groaned in frustration and rolled over once more in the large bed. She stuffed her head under her pillow and yelled out a muffled, _Go away! _The knocking stopped for a moment, letting her release her head underneath the pillow. But once again, the persistent knocking continued. Annoyed, she got out of bed and walked over to the wooden door.

"What could you possibly want at this deadly hour?" she hissed.

"It's one in the afternoon." the voice answered timidly.

"Same thing." she groaned.

"It's a beautiful day outside, I think you should go out and enjoy yourself. With me."

"How could I ever enjoy myself with you around?"

"How could you not?" he teased.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few seconds of pleading words and eyes to match, Ava gave in. How could she ever say 'no?' With that sexy pout and those beautiful eyes, there was no way she would reject his request. Also, she happened to be in a good mood, and it had been a while since she had actually gone outside to enjoy the day- rather than wasting the sun's rays by working. Being in the beautiful city of Long Beach, California, she could not let this day slip through her fingers.

She told him to go back to his hotel room and come back in a few minutes so she could get changed. He didn't tell her what their plans were, so she went casual. She let her brown hair spiral down her back in their natural waves, she wore a simple white camisole matched with a floral cardigan, and a pair of light blue jeans. As she slipped on her sandals, a knock bellowed throughout the room. Before leaving, she checked the mirror one last time, deeming herself presentable.

"You sure you could go out in public without your pantyhose and high heels?" he inquired once he laid his eyes on her.

She mocked him in an annoying, high-pitched tone that was barely coherent, leaving him a light slap against his bicep.

"You ready, Runnels?"

He chuckled, "are you ready?"

"I guess we'll both find out," Ava said raising her brows up and down.

The pair exited the hotel with not many eyes on them. Ava learned, surprisingly, how unnoticed some of these superstars get on a daily basis. Of course, there would be that one fan who would spot them out, causing a huge commotion of people and chaos- but often, they were left alone. Superstars such as the Big Show, Undertaker and Kane, were spotted almost instantly. But of course, their size pointed them out like a sore thumb. Superstars with a much more modest appearance such as Cody, blended much more easily. She found their walk along the sidewalk to be a completely engaging, calm and serene moment.

"Tell me about yourself, Ava." he said breaking the silence drawn up between them.

"What do you want to know, Mr. Runnels?" she asked looking up at him.

"What's behind the mask? What's behind the whole business-like appearance? You're twenty-five for heaven's sake! You can't really be _this_ professional."

She chuckled and looked at the ground, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know. I guess what you see is what you get."

"Bullshit."

A small little smirk grew on the bottom half of her face, "you think you know me so well."

"Actually, truth be told, I don't. If I did, I wouldn't have asked you."

"Okay, fine," she acquiesced, "um, I ran for Prom Queen in high school as some sort of joke, I suppose, and I ended up winning, surprisingly. I applied to some top notch Universities in California- and unfortunately, didn't get in to any of them, except for one, which ended up being the place I graduated from," she paused before continuing, "I'm actually a really boring person."

"C'mon, there's gotta be _something,_ anything."

"My life is my life, there's really not much to it," she said biting her lip softly.

Cody stared at her skeptically, knowing there was something else hidden behind those eyes. She was only twenty-five, but she had the aura of a much older woman.

The two continued walking as Cody persisted with his never-ending questions and nagging. Ava, only giving him simple answers was beginning to feel a slight hint of annoyance. Why he wanted to know more and more was beyond her. She didn't have a story to tell- at least not a story that she _would_ want to share out loud to her peers.

As they looked down the street for something to do, an older woman stopped them in their tracks.

"Excuse me, Miss," the older lady said, causing Ava to come a little closer.

"Sorry to bother you, but, you're boyfriend there looks a lot like my husband when he was younger."

"Oh, he's not-"

"I remember the first time we met," she said teary-eyed, "I'll never forget it. It was the summer of '77. July, to be exact. God, he was quite the looker. He approached me after a few days, and since then, we've been together. He's passed away recently, but he's still here. And seeing your boyfriend there just reminded me of that. I'm sorry for just intruding, but-" she began to sniffle as Ava rubbed the woman's shoulder.

She turned around to Cody who had a look of sympathy on his face. He walked over to the two ladies, and placed a hand on the shoulder of the older one. Tears fell down her wrinkled, lined face as she reminisced on the love of her life.

"You two take care of each other," the woman said once she regained her composure.

"We will," Cody replied.

Ava looked up at him with raised brows but shook it off.

"Love is rare. When you find it, cherish it. I wish the best for you two. Remember, love conquers all," she said before walking away from Ava and Cody, who both wore expressions of wonder and slight confusion.

She burst into laughter once the woman was out of earshot, "can you believe it? Me? You?"

"She's senile, doesn't know what she's talking about," Cody chuckled.

But as the day went on, every time Ava would catch a glimpse of them in the reflection of a store window, she couldn't help but notice how well they complimented one another. She understood why people would mistake them to be dating if they were seen walking down the street.

Cody's hand bumped into hers several times, but she didn't say anything about it- and neither would he. One would slip a compliment into the conversation, their cheeks would turn red, and they'd look the other way. He'd take a glance at her, she'd catch him, and he'd turn his head. She'd look at him, he'd look at her, and she'll look in another direction. It was almost child-like, like kindergarten for example.

"We've been walking for hours, Cody. The sun is already setting. Do you even know where we are?" she asked.

"Not really," he answered, amused almost.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you until we find our way back."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. C'mon, this is _Dashing_ you're talking to.""Wow, Codes. I think you're a little,_ too _into yourself."

He shook his head a little, and pursed his lips, "I guess you're right."

The two laughed and continued to walk anywhere. It was already night by the time they arrived back at the hotel. They seemed to talk for only a few minutes, but in reality, they had spent the whole day walking around the city. Turn after turn, block after block, for hours until the sun set back down into the horizon.

The pair stood in front of the hotel where a large fountain sat in the front, spewing out water in fancy scribbles and designs. Ava sat down on the edge, smiling, as she took off her sandals, knowing that in the morning she would find a blister or two. Cody joined her, his expression just as animated as hers. They were short of breath from the short race they just had. _Last one to the fountain is a rotten egg,_ he shouted before she sprinted off. At that moment, he knew never to race her ever again.

"You're supposed to be an athlete!"

"I am an athlete! You just happen to be quicker than I am," he said through panted breaths.

"Yeah, yeah, Runnels."

"What're you doing?" she asked as he stood up. He looked down at her and reached out a hand. She looked at him like he were the deadliest creature on the planet, but accepted his hand anyways. Cody wrapped one arm around her waist and grabbed her hand in his. Her brows scrunched together as he rocked back and forth.

She chuckled, "you're crazy. There's no music!"

He began to hum in the most tone-deaf manner she had ever heard, but nonetheless, she smiled. They rocked back and forth to his singing, not caring about the other guests walking around them. The moonlight was being blocked by the brightness of the city lights, the calm, natural environment was destroyed by the sound of honking cars, and the smell of the beach was overpowered by the stench of cologne and fast-food joints- but, the feeling was nothing but artificial.

"You're singing is horrible, by the way."

"Can you just be quiet for a second, and enjoy this moment?" he asked playfully. "Don't worry about all the little things, and just go with the flow."

She got quiet immediately and rested her head on his perfectly-sculpted shoulder. She could feel the warmth radiating off his skin as he wrapped his arms around her. Before she could even realize it, the two had stopped moving and they just stood there, wrapped up in each other's arms. He rubbed the back of her head gently, smoothing out her wavy hair. Her hands locked behind his back, trying to get closer to him than humanly possible.

When they pulled apart from one another, it was like nothing had happened. She said goodbye to him as she walked back to her hotel room. He stood there, watching her walk away. Hands in his pocket, he kicked a small pebble he spotted on the ground. He took small glances at her until she was completely out of his sight. That was when he began to walk.

Ava sat in her hotel room, completely flustered from the day she just had. She was completely confused, from that old woman, to that silent moment she shared with Cody a few moments ago. Her fingers ran through her hair, and began to grab at the roots. Her brows contracted together, trying to put a square into a circle. She had her fair share of conversations with Cody- but nothing ever too serious to make her question their relationship, or even if there was a chance of their relationship ever growing.

She heard a knock on the door, which brought her out of her thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain herself. If the person on the other side of the door was someone of importance, she didn't want to look shaken or disturbed. Ava tied her hair back at the nape of her neck and walked towards the door, still breathing. In through the nose, and out through the mouth.

Once she opened the door, she revealed a, just as flustered, Cody Runnels. His eyes were wide-open, and his expression sullen. Before she could ask him what he was doing at her hotel room, he pulled her in by the face and planted the sweetest, softest kiss on her lips. Stunned at first, she stood there motionless. Eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, lips still, arms at her side. But once she began to get the feel of his lips massaging hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss back. What was once an innocent kiss, soon turned out to be a hot, passionate one.

Still attached, the two went further into her hotel room. He closed the door behind him with his foot, as her back bumped into a nearby wall. She felt her cheeks burn up, and a change in temperature. Her legs wrapped around his waist as the two refused to break away from one another. He pulled the band from her hair, letting it fall down her shoulders. His fingers began to get entangled into her brown locks as he tried to bring her closer and closer to him.

His warm tongue tickled her neck as she let out a soft moan followed by his name in a heated whisper. His hands were now placed on the lower hem of her shirt, trying to remove the foolish piece of fabric. His lips seemed to be attached at her skin, not wanting to let go. He had the strongest crave for her scent, and he was now satisfying that deep temptation. As he laid her back in the bed, he knew this would be a night to remember.

She took a quick, sharp breath and woke up in an empty room.

Realizing, it was all a dream.


End file.
